Air Partner lends a helping hand


In the 15 years since it set up its freight division, Air Partner has expanded its presence in the air charter market, to the extent that it can oſten compete with the established players. The UK is a hotbed for the air charter business, with two of the other big operators – ACS and Chapman Freeborn - also headquartered in the London area. It was the launch of the first


Sony Playstation in Christmas 1998 that kick-started Air Partner Freight’s development, says trading manager, Clive Chalmers. Charter brokers come into their own when there are big surges in freight – anything from major product


launches to military


campaigns – that cannot be handled on scheduled airline capacity. The airfreight charter market


hasn’t been growing, lately, but it does have its moments, says Clive Chalmers. Oſten, what happens is that scheduled airlines cut their freight capacity, which then can lead to a shortage of capacity if and when there is a recovery or a sudden spike in demand. If the upturn looks to be a long term one, then of course the scheduled carriers will put capacity back in the market, so the art of being a successful broker is very much one of being able to read and anticipate the market. The Air Partner freight office network has been expanded to


seven locations, including the US (Fort Lauderdale), Cologne in Germany, Paris, and, recently, Istanbul, where there is currently a thriving air charter scene with growing freighter fleets and heavy investment in the sector. The UK itself is not a particularly strong market for air charters – even though three of the biggest brokers are headquartered there. Air Partner does though do regular business out of East Midlands Airport – where many aid agencies have set up their bases to take advantage of this freight-friendly location – Manston in the south and Prestwick in the north. Smaller aircraſt also use airports like Biggin Hill near London. There are also relatively few cargo charter airlines based in the UK, Atlantic Airlines being the main one nowadays. Air Partner also has agencies in


Hong Kong and Japan. Customers include aid agencies – the broker is sole supplier to the UK’s Department for International Development - governments, oil and gas, the entertainment industry, automotive, airlines needing urgent spare parts, some sectors of the livestock industry – mainly the smaller end of the spectrum like day-old chicks - and, of course, freight forwarders, who account for a large chunk of the business. Air Partner also handles a lot of goods that are too dangerous to be flown even under


Ethics are important, says Clive Chalmers


Handler unveils major Heathrow cargo plan


Handler dnata has launched a website for its dnata City project, a purpose-built centre


cargo logistics at London Heathrow


normal DG rules, though only for governments. A few examples of recent jobs


include flying a UN helicopter from Cyprus to Argentina, a 36-tonne oil rig piece from Houston to Angola, armoured vehicles to post- Gaddafi Libya and Kylie Minogue’s concert tour of South America. “Chartered planes really come into their own when there’s a hectic concert schedule,” explains Clive Chalmers. Air Partner also chartered the


giant Antonov 225 aircraſt to help victims of the Japanese Tsunami. “The 225 is almost the Holy Grail of air chartering,” says Chalmers. “There is only one and it handles a huge amount of volume.” As a relative newcomer to


freight chartering, Air Partner is always looking at ways of differentiating itself. It is the only charter broker with a Royal Warrant – although this is mainly relevant to its passenger business


– but more pertinently, perhaps, it has developed a ‘loadability’ smartphone app to tell customers whether a specific piece will fit in an aircraſt or not. There is also the RED Track


system that tells customers where their shipments are, allowing them to trace consignments in much the same way that the progress of an express parcel can be traced. It saves a lot of phone calls from anxious customers. Air Partner is also in


partnership itself, with the Ethical Cargo scheme, backed by the UK, Swedish and other governments, which audits air carriers to ensure that they haven’t been involved in illegal arms shipments or other immoral activity. Chalmers says: “It’s something we are very keen on. We are very anxious to protect our own reputation and it’s something that needs to be looked at more by the industry.”


Airport - www.dnatacity.co.uk The project includes a 20-acre cargo complex centred around five air freight warehouses, a transportation facility and yard for airside operations enclosed in a security-fenced area. “As a global player in the air


cargo business, dnata is committed to making a strong contribution to improving Heathrow Airport’s air cargo infrastructure,” said, CEO of dnata’s UK operations,


Gary Morgan, says he is concerned about the lack of new air cargo facilities “and felt the need to step forward to create and deliver industry-leading air cargo services which will shape the future of our industry at Heathrow,” he continued. Two of the dnata City buildings-


the 140,000sq ſt Cargo Point and 79,000sq ſt West Point-currently handle 21 wide-body flights daily for Virgin Atlantic, with a 60,000sq ſt facility nearby at Bedfont Road for Cathay Pacific’s passenger and freighter cargo operations. The dnata City complex will


also encompass the handler’s existing 60,000sq ſt self-contained transport yard, where it has a fleet of 85 modern trucks equipped with GPS tracking


equipment


providing 24/7 coverage with 4,000 truck movements currently servicing 656 flights every week. Cargo business development


director for dnata’s business in the UK, Mohammed Akhlaq, adds: “dnata City can offer customers


a range of versatile options to suit their specific needs. At this stage we are able to have meaningful input from carriers into both design aspects and to ensure we have the required handling systems in place.” Three additional facilities at


dnata City will provide 206,000sq ſt of new cargo space- a 78,000sq ſt cargo warehouse with 15,000sq ſt of office space; a 54,000sq ſt facility with 11,000sq ſt of offices and a 40,000 sq ſt building with 8,000 sq ſt of office space. The new facilities will also feature fully automated cargo handling systems as well as chiller rooms and valuable cargo handling facilities and are


designed to


handle peak freighter cargo alongside general cargo flows.


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